


Calling me

by IsisKitsune



Series: Among Vampires and Androids [26]
Category: Almost Human, Priest (2011), Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Adopted Children, Alien Biology, Aliens, Altered Mental States, Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Gen, John Kennex is Leonard McCoy, Master & Servant, Minor Character Death, Parenthood, Partial Mind Control, Rescue Missions, Telepathic Bond, Telepathy, Vampire!John, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-13
Updated: 2014-09-24
Packaged: 2018-02-17 05:59:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2299022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsisKitsune/pseuds/IsisKitsune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Please, save them. Save-“ everyone scrambled to get the connection back when the voice suddenly dropped off.</p><p>“Keptin, it’s not the connection, she isn’t responding.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I threw a bunch of tags that might or will pertain the the story. I couldn't figure out how to put it all under one story so I decided to try and chapter it. There's going to be 2 (I hope) but there may be more chapters.

Bones reached down and grabbed the little squirming mass that had been attempting to gnaw on his ankles, “Damnit, I’m not a chew toy!” The little sightless creature stopped attempting to be vicious and just went limp in his hands, “Well, I know you’re not hungry, poor Chekhov woulda already been running in here with blood.” The little beast sneezed, making Bones scrunch his eyes closed before he was covered in a viscous mixture of mucus, saliva and venom. “You unsanitary little shit!” The little beast had already squirmed free and was bolting for the door with Bones hot on his tail. “Get back here you bastard!” Bones nearly plowed into Chekhov when he rounded a corner and barely stopped in time to not bowl the poor pale eyed young man over. “Chekhov. It’s alright, I was just gonna grab him to get a bath.”

The young officer wasn’t convinced, though the pale tone started fading back to bright blue, “Vhat heppinned zis time, doctor?”

“The little shit sneezed all over me!” Bones tugged at his soiled uniformed, making the young engineer stifle a laugh. “It ain’t funny.”

“Sorry,” Bones was finally able to get a real grip on the little beast when the young man handed him over, though the paleness did show back up when it started squirming again. “Stop zat! Zee doctor iz just trying to get you clean.”

Bones still had to deal with claws and teeth, along with the kid tagging along behind them, on the way to the shower. Then all he had to deal with trying to keep dry while washing up the little shit… Like that was going to happen.

-

“Anything yet?” Kirk called toward his helmsmen as his eyes never left what appeared to be a scuttled ship circling a planet.

“The vessel has life support and what appears to be 2 heat signatures on board. The planet looks to be dead. There are no readings from it other than volcanic activity.”

“Keptin, I vould suggest we move quickly. It looks to be about to implode.”

Kirk caught sight of the readings over Chekhov’s shoulder and gritted his teeth. “Put us through.”

Sulu shook his head when Kirk started to identify themselves to the stranded vessel, “It’s not going through. Let me try again,” another channel, and another, nothing was connecting. “Captain it appears they’ve shut down their communications.”

Everyone’s head jerked up at the sudden static, “Help us,” Kirk felt a shudder down his spine at the woman’s weak voice. “Please, keep them safe.”

“My name is James Kirk, I’m with the starship USS Enterprise. Is it safe to beam aboard?”

“Please, save them. Save-“ everyone scrambled to get the connection back when the voice suddenly dropped off.

“Keptin, it’s not the connection, she isn’t responding.”

“Captain, the heat signature is starting to fade.”

“Damn, get an emergency evac team in there, now!”

As the bridge crew scrambled, both to connect with whoever else was on board and to get a team to beam aboard, Bones’ head suddenly shot upright at the odd niggling in the back of his mind. “Something’s wrong.” Dorian barely caught the tool as Bones dropped everything and rushed from the room.

“John, JOHN! Wait, what’s wrong?!” Chapel took over as the bot rushed after. “What’s wrong? John, man, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“I’m needed somewhere,” Bones made it all the way to the transporter before he snapped out whatever trance he’d been in. “I’m going with.”

“The hell ya are, lad.”

“That wasn’t a request,” Scotty stepped back at the growl before Dorian shrugged and tried to follow the vampire onto the pad. “No, stay here.”

“John, something’s going on with you, I’m not just going to let you,” Dorian suddenly flew into the wall opposite the pad, making Scotty open mouth gap at the stunned bot.

“Energize,” Scotty took one look at that predatory glare and winced as he hit the button.

“Godspeed, lad. Sounds like ye are gonna need it.”

Dorian took about 3 seconds to shake himself before comming the, “Captian, John just jumped aboard that skiff!”

“What?!”

“He took off! Something’s wrong, he wouldn’t talk to me.”

“Damnit, Sulu, get Bones on the line, now!”

The security team all turned phasers toward the sudden addition to their party before sighing and taking them off the doctor, “Get out of the way.” Bones shoved them aside and stepped forward, jerking his head out of the way when something sparked nearby but otherwise didn’t react as he attempted to find the source of the odd calling. “I know it’s here, what is it?” He let the others take over when they found the woman that had apparently contacted them and pushed through.

Taking no time or notice of the other bodies scattered around the floor, dead was dead after all, he quickly climbed through to the back of the shuttle. He realized why he couldn’t leave it alone. They were, or had been hanging, along the back wall. One looked to have been trying to escape its shell before whatever caused death thwarted it. Others seemed withered, dead, possibly even before takeoff. “Check her eyes.” The officers behind him jumped at the sudden words, “CHECK HER EYES.” He pushed them out of the way to see a nurse attempting to tend to old scarred wounds and opened them to see milky white irises, “A familiar. That’s how they do it… There has to be a Queen on board, there’d be no point if there isn’t-“ Bones rushed back to the hanging cases, tearing at the ones that hadn’t been opened and still unable to find what he was looking for. Drones, all of them, in varying forms of decay falling to the deck, making a few of the others gag and draw away. “Where is she?!” There were at least 10 cases, no Queen. “She has to be here, there’s no reason to save Drones!” A Guardian fell from one, making him jump when a claw seemed to reach out but it was dead. He was closer, he had to be. He pulled open the last, recognizing the long limb of the winged matriarch. “There you are. Why would you birth a Queen on board such a small skiff?”

“Doctor?” Bones was still oblivious of the others trying to get his attention.

“But the Queen’s dead, she’s been dead. Was the command that powerful you’d kill yourself trying to save a dead Master?”

“McCoy!” Bones snapped out of it long enough to focus on the young officer trying to pull him back. “There are no survivors on board.”

“Then why was I called here? There has to be something here,” he caught sight of it, small, withered looking, pushed back against a corner of the floor as if forgotten. “That one’s still alive,” the officer moved when he was nudged and the doctor knelt down to touch the soft shell, smiling when it moved, “Now why the hell did you drag me out here, little one?” He’d never seen one layed so small.

“Doctor, is that wise?”

He didn’t care, he had to, he couldn’t stop himself from carefully dislodging the casing from the floor and making sure it was intact when is started squirming again, “How did you survive? My hive would have eaten you. All the others are birthed full grown…”

“Doctor-“

Bones had already grabbed his communicator, still holding the calm egg casing as he grinned, “Away team to Enterprise, beam up.”

“Bones you have a hell of a lot of explaining to do,” was demanded the moment they were back on board.

“I can’t explain it, but I couldn’t leave it all alone out there,” Kirk stepped back when he realized Bones was holding something.

“What is it?”

“We’ll find out when it hatches,” Dorian was worried when he walked past, heading for medbay. “Shouldn’t take more than a few days with all this activity.”

“John, is that what I think it is? JOHN, answer me!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I lied... there's more than 2. Sorry.

Just another boring shift, just procedure and routine, not even a sign of ships to interact with or planets to explore. Dorian burst onto the deck with a glare worthy of Bones himself. “Captain I can’t get John out of the closet…”

Kirk blinked, taken a bit aback while Uhura smirked and tried to hide her laughing in her arm. “Well, I suppose you could tell him it’s a bit obvious at this point, and that we all still love him regardless.”

Dorian rolled his eyes at the same time as another officer tried not to collapse laughing nearby the snickering communications officer. “That’s not what I mean. I mean, quite literally, John has held up in our closet for the last 4 days. Ever since he found that damn, pod or whatever it was on that skiff. He won’t come out; I can’t get any of the overrides to work on the door!”

Kirk’s brows drew downward and Dorian nodded as the captain finally understood. “At all?”

“At all.”

“Well, fuck,” Kirk rushed off, waving back, “Spock you have the con.”

“I’ve been trying to get him to open up and he won’t. Uh, I should warn you, he probably thinks it’s me using your voice. I’ve tried that too.”

Kirk was a bit confused until Dorian used Bones’ voice to open their quarters, “It’s the only way it will let me in. John must have engaged the voice recognition when he holed up in the closet.”

“Wow, that’s… useful.”

Dorian shrugged before pounding on the door, “John, come out, Jim’s here.”

Kirk’s eyes darted around at the odd deep growling coming from behind the door, “What the hell is that?”

“That’s John. Damnit John, if you turned feral over a goddamn cocoon I’m taking your head off myself!” Kirk jumped at the odd crunch when Dorian’s foot connected with the door, though all it did was crack it.

“Stay out!”

Dorian rolled his eyes at the command. “John, I’m coming in. You can come out and explain calmly or I’m taking the door down!”

Dorian gave to the count of ten, stepping back and bracing to take out the door when Bones called out, “No way! I’m serious, don’t! I can’t risk light getting in and damaging it!”

Dorian and Kirk blinked at each other before going around the room and making sure any light source was off, “Alright, you can come out now.”

Kirk’s head tilted toward the carefully opening door, Dorian set a hand on his shoulder just in case he needed to be shoved out of the way. “Bones, what the hell is going on?”

Bones was hunkered down, nearly hidden in warm blankets and clutching the small cocoon to his chest. “The light could kill it…”

Dorian’s cheek lit up, making Bones curl around the cocoon before calming, “That’s a vampire egg, isn’t it?”

Bones nodded, claws sliding across the shell in warning as he slid back to lean against the opposite wall. “I couldn’t leave it there, I don’t know why.”

“John, what if it ends up breeding?! We can’t keep that thing on the ship!”

“It’s not a Queen! The Queen was dead on the skiff! This, it’s not a normal vampire, it’s tiny. It’s stunted. I don’t know what caused it but it keeps calling out for help. I can’t _not_ respond.”

“Wait, wait, is that one of those things that nearly **tore your fucking arm off?** ”

“Yeah?”

Kirk had the most annoyed look on his face as Dorian rubbed his eyes and paced. “You expect me to let one of those things stay on my ship?”

“If it goes, I go.”

“Fuck, you’re linked to it, aren’t you? That’s why you spaced out and went running head first after it. How the hell, I thought vampires only link with offspring and Sire’s.”

“I have no idea, I just. It’s been calling me. I can’t let it die out there.” Bones jumped when the shell shifted in his hands, golden eyes lighting up as he shifted the blanket around to let the cocoon rest in the center of them. “Ready to come out, little one?”

Dorian quickly shoved Kirk back, out of at least jumping distance, and kept himself between him and the potential threat. “John, keep hold of it or I will be forced to use deadly force.”

Bones wasn’t paying any attention; he was too busy being entranced by the quiet please for assistance tickling at the back of his head. “Is that all you needed me for? A can opener?” He grinned as he saw 3 small claws poking through the shell and tugging but unable to tear the casing. “Ya know, I shouldn’t interfere, I should make you get yourself out.”

The quiet tickling soon turned more desperate as the small claws numbered 6, then 9 as more limbs tried to help tear itself out but the shell was just too thick. Bones had to clutch the cocoon to his chest to keep it safe when it started to squirm too much. “Alright, alright,” he carefully pressed claws to the points poking out before they disappeared and he was able to tear the cocoon open. A small gasp was heard before a high pitch murmuring as the little creature began to exhaustedly pull itself out of the shell. “Well, you’re dead tired, and I did all the work.”

Dorian scanned the little creature, blinking as the odd shaped head turned toward them and sniffed at them. “John, I haven’t seen one that looked like that.”

“That’s because this is a Guardian. They tend to be built like a football player and are usually at least 3 times bigger than a normal Drone. I can’t figure out why it’s so tiny though.” Bones smiled and chuckled as the small head nuzzled under his hand before pushing it up to start trying to gnaw at it. “I know, I know, you’re hungry… But, I can’t take you to medbay, all the lights are designed to simulate sunlight to keep us from becoming vitamin D deficient.”

Dorian’s jaw dropped open, “That’s why you’ve been holed up in the closet for so long?!”

“Yeah, what did you think I was doing in here?” Bones was blinking as the young Guardian flopped back in his lap, still holding his hand in its jaws. “Yeah, me too.”

Kirk blinked, “You too, what?”

“I’m hungry too.” Bones waved a finger toward his temple, “Vampires are somewhat telepathic. At least the real ones are. Usually it’s just images or sensation, like hunger, but some are strong enough mentally to have a form of communication. Usually that’s reserved for Queens though.”

Dorian rolled his eyes, updating his files on vampires as he sighed, “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

Bones was busy bundling up the confused little creature, “Don’t worry little one, we’re going to get ya something to drink.” Once he covered the creature with sufficient enough he finally left the confines of his nest and blinking at the bright lights of the hall, though he was cautious when the bundle went still.

Dorian and Kirk was following after, still worried about the newest bundle on board.

-

Dorian wasn’t too happy, and neither was his programming, about the little creature now safely hidden under moonlight tinted non-UV lights in Bones’ private office. The fact that the little beast was still gnawing on Bones’ hands even as he held out the bagged blood, “Come on, I know it tastes weird but it is fresh, kinda, and you need it.”

Kirk was a little bit grossed out when Bones suddenly nipped at the bag and ended up with the little creature licking at his chin, “Hey now, stop that, here’s where you get blood.” It took some doing but he was finally able to get the creature to bite at the bag, though once it did it was more interested in tearing it to shred and lapping up the mess rather than just suckling at it. “I forgot how messy hatchlings are.”

“John,” Bones finally looked up as he held out another bag, feeling the little creature scratch at his mind intending to learn. He just closed his eyes and sent the image of biting and suckling rather than playing with the food. This time the little beast was less messy, even if it did still end up with bloody claws from trying to hold its ‘prey’ still. “We can’t keep it aboard.”

“Why not? It’s learning quickly, and it’s not even big enough to take down a human. It can’t eat that much. It will learn what food is, even if humans smell good, it can learn they’re not food. I can keep it from attacking, the same as my other Drones.”

“John, you said it yourself, the lighting along can kill it. Not to mention you can’t watch it all hours of the,” Dorian blinked down as the little beast jumped around his feet before pouncing and sniffing at his leg, “I swear if it pees on my shoes I’m shooting it out the airlock myself…”

“Calm down,” Bones smirked as the little creature rolled over onto the bot’s feet and attempted to tug at the pant leg of his regulation uniform. “Vampires don’t mark territory like that. They scent mark, sorta like cats do.” Dorian still ended up with some sort of odd mixture glistening across his shoes, though it didn’t reek nearly as bad as the alternative it still wasn’t pleasant.

“Bones, what’s the worst case scenario here?”

Bones shrugged as he smiled when the little creature was able to jump and climb up onto his desk to shuffle around and knock several things off, “Hey, watch it!” He nearly missed grabbing as the creature attempted to jump free and ended up clinging to his wrist when the doctor had a hold on its back leg, “You stop that.” He got a chatter of growls and snarls before he set it back onto the floor to scurry around the office. “Well, I suppose I’ll have to remove its venom glands… I really don’t want to do that. I’m not sure if they can take sedatives or anesthetics at all.”

“That thing’s venomous?!” Kirk jumped back when the little beast scampered across his feet. “Is it deadly?”

“No; well, probably, but not from the venom. Hold on, I’ll show you.” Bones turned eyes toward the little creature and thought of the safe darkness under his desk before he snuck out of the room into the bright medbay. It took less than a minute to find what he was looking for and get back, making sure to push the image of safety through the mental link before he re-entered his office. “Here, come on, this won’t hurt.” That didn’t stop the little creature from trying to escape. “Vampires are kinda like snakes, it starts as a paralytic but then it does something weird. It links the human to the vampire like a Drone is linked to a Queen.” Bones got the beaker hooks under the two major canines and pushed down at just the right point at the jaw to show the odd liquid produced by the small creature. “True vampires can produce it. But those human ones only made others like themselves. I don’t know why it evolved that way but- As long as they don’t intend to kill their prey, this is what happens.”

Dorian looked confused, “But you’ve fed off humans without issue.”

Bones grinned, “I know what causes the trigger, and I know how to steer clear of it.” He tipped the beaker after the little vampire started squirming and pulling away, “It’s not much but it’s enough to trigger the link if the intent is there. I’ll have to teach it to make sure it doesn’t.”

“John, where would we keep it?”

“With us,” Bones was confused at why that wasn’t obvious. “It’s already attached to me, and it seems to like you.” Dorian was still rubbing his eyes even as the little creature pounced around his feet. “Dorian, it’s stunted, this is as big as it’s going to get. It’s sterile, all but the Queen are sterile at least in the ability to produce offspring, some are able to fertilize obviously but there’s no others here to worry about that.”

“Dorian, a word,” the DRN nodded at Kirk and waited for the little creature to hide itself behind Bones’ desk before they snuck out of the room. “How likely are we of keeping those two apart? If we decide we need to get rid of it?”

Dorian rubbed at his eyes, forcing his processors to turn off the moment the stats attempted to come up, “Honestly, I don’t think I could split them up. I’ve never seen him this way with anything. They’re already linked, I’ve seen that before, and he’s kept a small army from attacking a single human the last time I’d witnessed them around him.”

“Really? So this might actually be a plus not a minus?”

“If it plays out right and it learns quick, yes. But it’s tiny compared the others I’ve seen. I don’t know what caused that and neither does he. That’s what I’m worried about statistically.”

“You mean, you’re worried if the little guy doesn’t make it…”

“Basically.”

“Well, I mean, it’s playful, it’s active, and it’s eating. It would show other signs by now that it wasn’t going to make it, right?”

“Statistically speaking most animals are likely to already have shown signs of deterioration.”

Kirk sighed, “So, we’re really doing this?”

“Apparently.”

Kirk scratched his head and knocked on the door, “Safe to come in?”

There was a loud scurrying on the other side before a “yeah” could be heard.


	3. Chapter 3

Bones wasn’t sure what they were going to do with the little Guardian, but he was sure of what he wanted to do with it. The little shit was nothing more than a cock-block for starters. “Damnit, can I get 5 minutes alone?”

“Apparently not,” Dorian just chuckled when they had to break up, another, attempted gropefest in order to grab at a set of claws before it dug down too far in their blankets to end up hitting flesh. “Watch it,” the bot jumped, tapping claws away from rather sensitive areas, “I’m pretty sure John will shoot you out the airlock if that gets damaged.”

“Damn right I will!” Bones already had two out of four limbs and was scrambling to get untangled and keep a third from trying to gut him. “Stop,” Dorian’s eyes widened at the snarl and the creature fell quiet as Bones growled at it. “Go nest in your damn closet.” His scowl didn’t last, never did, regardless of how far along they got before the interruption. “Calm the fuck down, I’ll be back, Dorian can keep you company. I’m gonna get a cold shower,” the little beast looked to be about to follow but a golden eyed glare and whatever mental command Bones sent ended up with Dorian laughing with an arm full of chattering hatchling. “Damn thing, always ruining my day.”

“He doesn’t mean that,” Dorian cooed at the baby, now trying to nibble at his hand though it never did damage.

“THE FUCK I DON’T,” was yelled from the other side of the door.

“Daddy’s just having a bad day.”

-

“You have to do that every day?”

Bones nodded at Kirk as he held the little under sharp fangs, “Lessens the risk if it ever does get a hold of somebody.” It didn’t take too long before the little creature was squirming to get away, fangs clanking hard against the glass when Bones took too long setting it down. “Alright alright you can return to tearing up my office.”

Kirk stepped aside as the creature bolted past to start trying to climb the nearby shelf, “And how are we with the removal thing?”

“I can’t risk putting it under and killing it. The blood panels aren’t looking good with what I have on board to work with. Spock’s helping out; we’re looking into developing something with what Dorian uses on me. We just have to figure out how to cut back the dosage.”

Kirk jumped when something heavy hit the floor and looked over to see an eyeless head poking out of the bookshelves, looking to be content. “Any ETA on that?”

“Not yet. Alright, ya damn brat you can have the shelf, just don’t go breakin’ shit!” Bones grabbed something glass as it started falling and moved things around, seeming to be completely indifferent to the little creature nuzzling and nipping at his neck. “And I ain’t yer damn breakfast. If you’re hungry just say so.”

“The, uh, venom. It wouldn’t affect you, right? I mean, you’re already a vampire, it couldn’t hurt you.”

“Na, kid, don’t worry. It’d just give me a headache for a few days. And that’s with the full growns. This one would just be annoying and whinier than usual.” Bones smiled when the little creature settled in and nudged its jaw, “So ya ain’t hungry, yer just playin’.”

“And, what are you doing with the venom?”

“Biohazard treatment. Contained and destroyed, same as everything else,” Bones smiled at the odd noises coming from the dark shelf. “Yeah yeah.”

“You understand that?”

“In a manner of speaking, yeah. Those are content sounds. Tired sounds. It’s opting for rest rather than food so I know it ain’t that hungry. It’ll have to feed when it wakes up though.” Bones shrugs as he attempts to straighten up the mess, “The whole Hive would chatter away like that when the sun was up. Kinda hard to get use to it not being around.” He yawned and glared toward the shelf, “Alright, you’re doing that on purpose…”

“Putting you to sleep?”

“Yeah. Vampire’s are nocturnal anyway, for obvious reason, so me running the day shift is bad enough.”

Kirk smirked when Bones settled into his chair and yawned before leaning back. “Nap time?”

“Don’t patronize me, kid. You try dealing with a nocturnal little shit all night…” It didn’t stop him from unconsciously mimicking the sounds in an oddly human variant as Kirk headed toward the door.

“Sure thing, Bones, whatever you say,” he caught sight of the little head poking out of the bookcase as he carefully left the office. The odd chattering had slowly dropped into a rumbling snore.

Bones jerked awake, instantly grabbing the thing that had him by the neck and nearly tearing its jaw off before he caught himself, “If you were hungry, you just had to tell me!” The only damage the little vampire had caused was the light scratches at his throat from where it had nipped when he’d grabbed it but still. “Alright, ya think you can stay still for five minutes while I get us some breakfast?”

All he got was chattering and the mental sensation of hunger.

“Stay put, and don’t go snapping at anyone that might try to come in while I’m gone!” Bones still engaged his locks when he shut the door and went to find blood.

“John,” Bones blinked at Dorian’s voice on his way back to his office, “We think we have something to help with the light sensitivity, but we can’t judge how small the dosage needs to be.”

“We don’t want to overdose it. It was bad the first time I tried it. Was laid up nearly a month. Everything hurt so bad trying to get rid of it.” Bones scratched at his brow and sighed, “Give him a few ccs see if it takes and if it starts rejection we at least have a chance of clearing its system of it.”

Dorian smiled and patted his shoulder as he went to get the hypo rigged while Bones headed to make sure the little vampire at least had something in its stomach beforehand. “Would 4 be too many?”

“Start out with 2, if there’s no negative effects within the hour we can up it a bit.”

“You really had that bad of a reaction?” Bones shrugged and ducked into his office without a response.

-

Bones was watching the little vampire as it began to explore a (somewhat quarantined) portion of medbay. Smiling as it sniffed around an occasionally bumped into equipment when it couldn’t figure out the dimensions of the room. He chuckled every time that eyeless face turned toward him as if it had been betrayed before prodding the object and moving on.

“John, should we up the dosage or the lighting? It doesn’t seem to have any negative effect yet.”

“No, we’ve already pushed it at 6 ccs, I want to let it settle and make sure it’s working.”

“Doctor McCoy, why is it so dark in here?”

Bones swooped down and grabbed for the startled vampire, panicking when the lights went from 20% to full strength. “NO!” Dorian was scrambling for a dark blanket but the vampire had already trying to be closer to Bones and ended up scrambling under his shirt away from the lights. “Goddamnit!” Spock actually looked startled and Bones jumped and clutched at the bundle hiding under his shirt. “KILL THE FUCKING LIGHTS!”

“Doctor you are hurt,” Bones shoved Spock’s arm out of the way as he stomped back into his office.

“Yeah, and whose fault is that?!”

Dorian was already pushing through to shut the door and assess the injuries, “Any arteries?”

“No, no, damn close. Think I got nicked under the arm. It just got scared, it hurts. Not the scratches, the hatchling. The lights hurt it. It was a split second but it’s hurting and isn’t gonna want to be away from me right now.”

Dorian had helped pull his shirt off to see the little vampire panting and clutching tight to the doctor’s chest. “Should I try sedation?”

“Hell no. No, I’m fine, that’s already healing; just make sure it wasn’t burned.”

Bones gritted his teeth as Dorian’s hand brushed over the hatchling’s tender skin, wincing when certain spots caused claws to dig deeper and telling the bot what needed patched. “It’s not going to let you out of reach is it?”

“Doubt it. Truthfully I wasn’t planning on leavin’ it alone anyway. Need to watch for signs of reaction. Especially after the full light exposure. Full vampires go up pretty quick in UV rays. Must be close to its limit if all it did was burn it a bit.”

It was nearly an hour before the little creature loosened up enough to get its claws out of Bones’ chest, and then it was only to chatter at Bones until he sat down near the bookshelf and let it climb into one of the nooks in it. “Looks like I’m beddin’ down here tonight. It doesn’t feel safe out there right now. Wants to be safe in its nest.”

“I understand John,” Dorian smiled and brushed a hand through that disheveled hair and kissed his brow. “I have to charge tonight, but I’ll bring you some coffee and blood in the morning before shift.”

“Sounds good to me.” Bones let his head fall back against the shelving and shifted to get comfortable. “Night D.”

“Goodnight John,” Dorian switched off the soft lighting as he left before engaging the lock.


	4. Chapter 4

Bones was trying to rub his eyes as he stretched, checking on the little shit still huddled in his bookshelf as he closed the door behind him. “Dorian, I hope you remembered the coffee,” he lightly tapped his cheek at the pain the words caused, rolling his eyes when it started bleeding again. “Damnit.”

“John,” Bones rushed and caught the coffee before the bot could drop it, “What happened?” He stepped back and turned the worst of the claw makes away from the reaching hand.

“Nothin’, just a bad dream. Caught me in the face with its back claws, I’m fine. Just need some coffee and a drink,” Dorian pulled the blood out of reach to make Bones let him examine the wounds. “Looks worse than it is.”

“There’s a hole in your cheek, John-”

“Yeah, like I said, coulda been worse.” Bones attempted to steal a package of blood and ended up stealing a kiss when he had to lean too far forward. The door behind him instantly started rattling under little claws. “I fucking swear, ever since time…”

Dorian smirked, even as he scanned over the rest of the injuries, “I guess Jr’s done waiting for breakfast.”

Bones rolled his eyes and was finally able to snag one of the blood packages from Dorian. “We’re not calling it ‘Jr’.”

“Whatever you say, man.”

Bones panicked when the little claws reached out the moment the door cracked open, fearing bright lights of medbay would burn them, but relaxed when they batted at air as if nothing was wrong. “Huh, looks like it took.”

Once the door was opened enough, the little Guardian clawed its way out of the office and stumbled around a bit before falling head first into the blood Bones was holding out to it. Too bad the doctor didn’t realize it was too busy trying to claw at it than drink, “Goddamnit, again?! I thought we had this figured out! You can’t play with your food!”

A little blood soaked face was tilted up at him, tongue lapping up what it could reach before it was lifted up. “Someone needs a bath.”

Bones flailed as Dorian headed out of medbay, “Watch the lights! And watch its skin, the first sign of blistering cover it up!”

“I know what to watch for, doctor,” Bones rolled his eyes at that damn smirk. He’d have to figure out something to do with the little cockblock and soon.

-

Bones was regretting giving the little Guardian immunity to the UV lighting. Especially when he couldn’t even hide on the bridge without the little bastard tracking him down and tackling him the moment the lift doors opened. “Damnit, I AM NOT A CHEW TOY!” The little vampire was too busy gnawing on his wrist as the doctor held it aloft by its ankles. “I know you’re not hungry, _I just fed you!”_

“Ah, but Jr wants to play,” Bones glared at Kirk as he grinned and swayed softly in the captain’s chair.

Dorian shrugged as he walked off the lift and took the vampire out of Bones’ grip, “He missed you.”

“How can it miss me when it won’t leave me alone for 10 fucking minutes?”

Dorian rolled his eyes and attempted to mimic the odd sounds he’d heard throughout the entire lift ride. Bones’ eyes softened, he suddenly grabbed the vampire and Dorian both, making the bot blink while everyone else looked confused. “John?”

“Basically they’re scared baby noises, shut up, it’s instinct or something.” The little Guardian was snuggling up to Dorian too, making the bot smile and nuzzle it until Bones took the baby out of his arms. “Need to find you a surrogate or something.”

Dorian’s lip quirked up before he turned and was suddenly gone from the bridge. “Dorian, where the hell are ya going?”

“I have an idea.”

Bones looked at the hatchling before groaning at the suddenly headbutt and throat nipping, “Yer not hungry, I ain’t over feedin’ yer ass, ya glutton!”

The little Guardian pounced after him the moment it was set down, making the doctor growl at it and tap his toe against its butt to move it along out of his path, “I have no idea what Dorian’s up to but we better go find him.”

The little Guardian instantly started nosing around before bolting toward the lift, nearly colliding with the door when it took too long to open. “Gonna be the death of me,” Bones grumbled as he tapped the pad for their floor. “Need to learn dimensions. Gonna run head first into something…”

Bones chuckled as the little creature bounced and lunched at the door as if it might want to play. “We also need to teach you about inanimate objects.” He rolled his eyes at the head tilt, “Okay, so Dorian is technically inanimate, sometimes, but you understand he’s real.”

Well, Dorian wasn’t in medbay, so that only left their quarters. “Hey, the fuck?” Bones blinked as his vision was impaired when Dorian jumped up behind him and shoved something down onto his head. “Hey, careful that’s an antique you know!”

“That’s beyond antique John, that’s ancient, kinda like you.”

“Where the hell did you find this anyway?” Bones smirked and pulled the hat from his head, sniffing at the brim and smiling at the scent left from the old days.

“Storage. I’m surprised you still have it, or this.” Bones flailed and tried to grab the leather duster before the bot tossed it down onto the confused vampire. “There you go, that should make your feel nice and safe.”

“I swear to God, Dorian, if he ruins that… That’s over 500 years old! It’s not a goddamn baby blanket!”

“Well, so are you. And you make an excellent nanny.” Dorian leaned up to smooch Bones on the nose before smiling, “You hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“Nothing, no clawing, no whimpering, no whining, silence.”

Bones blinked then looked over at the little Guardian. The only thing visible in the mount of leather was the little nostrils poking out of a corner and a random claw when legs kicked while it slept. “Well I’ll be damned…”

“All it wanted was something that smelled like home.”

Bones smirked as he gathered up the leather containing the little hatchling and took it into his office to its shelf. “You know, it’ll be sleeping until nightfall…”

“Which one?”

“Most likely Earth,” they both got this lewd grin, “Bet you can’t catch me.”

“I’ll take that, HEY! Cheater!” Bones was already bolting down the hall, Dorian hot on his heels as they raced back to their quarters.

Too bad neither of them had remembered to lock the office door…


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've been working on a "De-aged Kennex!Bones" story for this series. Sorry that's why it's been taking so long for this chapter (and sort of why it's so short)   
> I've also been trying to poke ideas to get Reaper into this series either in flashbacks or something. I just don't have any specifics yet so ideas are welcome.
> 
> Kinda weird. I can write 16 pages of kid!Bones being adorable and angsty but I CAN NOT get accents right. Sorry.

The moment Bones woke up from his little nap, stretching and reaching his arm out automatically in an attempt to find his partner to curl closer. But Dorian wasn’t in the bed, he wasn’t even in the room, it took the sound of running water for him to realize he was in the bathroom. “Dorian, come back to bed, shift isn’t for another 12 hours.”

“Well, since we left early I figured we should make up the rest of the hours we missed yesterday.”

Bones grumbled and tried to hide his head under a pillow before finally getting up, “Alright, alright, I’m getting up.”

“May wanna get a quick shower too,” Dorian smirked at the slight stumbling the old CMO did toward the bathroom.

“Admire it while it lasts,” Bones smirked before shutting the door behind him.

-

Something was nagging at the back of his mind the whole way to medbay. He didn’t realize what it was until he noticed his office door slightly ajar. “Shit, Jr’s being quiet.”

Bones threw open the door and the lights automatically flared to full brightness. “Chekhov? What are you doing here?”

“I am sorry, doctor. I just came in for my hand. And I must have startled it.” The young man was clutching his arm, just above the elbow. “I zought ze lights vere hurting him so I tried to cover him wiz ze coat. He bit me. I couldn’t stand up. Feeling dizzy.”

“Shit, did you milk him today?” Bones looked toward Dorian, who shook his head before he picked up the young man when he couldn’t seem to find his feet even with help. “Get a bed clear, now!”

“I am feeling better.”

“No you’re not, stay calm and try to relax.” Nurses were already gathering, “He’s going to seize, just don’t let him hurt you or himself.”

“I’m alright, doctor, really,” Bones pushed the boy’s shoulder back to the bed when he attempted to sit up.

“Your hands are already locking up; don’t try me, Chekhov, I ain’t in the mood.”

The nurses were starting to drift away when the symptoms didn’t seem to worsen, more pressing things needed dealt with. “My arms hurt.”

“That’s because you’re tensing up. I’ve never seen it take this long before, maybe you didn’t get a high enough,” Bones jumped and caught the young man’s head before it could hit the table when his entire spine suddenly bowed upward and the shaking started. “There it is. Fuck, Dorian get me a pillow or something. Keep his arms from hitting the goddamn table!” Bones kicked a tray of sharps out of reach when one arm swung out toward it and kept his grip until he could feel the muscles start to slow their tremors before finally stilling. “You with us, kid?”

Chekhov groaned and tilted his head away from the bright lighting but otherwise didn’t attempt to move, “Ewerything hurts.”

“Well your entire body just tried to do an impression of a snapping bow string so yeah, you’re gonna be sore. How’s your head?”

“Feels fuzzy. Hurts too.”

“That’s gonna happen too. I need to see your eyes.”

“My eyes?” Chekhov’s brows dipped down as he tilted his head back toward Bones, only to crack open a blue eye. “Vhy vould zat matter?”

Bones let out a sigh of relief, “It didn’t take. Looks like your body rejected the venom.”

“Zat sounds like a good zing.”

“Yeah, that would be a very good thing. But just to be sure, we’re going to keep you for the night and put you through a blood purification. Just to be sure it isn’t still lingering.”

“Ugh, I hate medbay.”

Bones chuckles and carefully pats his shoulder, “Now what was that earlier about your hand?”

“Huh? Oh, it cramps up zen I am trying to vork sometimes.”

Bones rubs his eyes and grumbles to himself, “All this for a damn cramp…”

-

Most of medbay was on break or dealing with the little mishap from the kitchen disaster that had happened to notice when the young officer opened his eyes and reached out to fumble to turn the bio-bed off before stumbling to his feet. Pale eyes blinking and focusing on Dr. McCoy’s office door. He ended up slumping against it when he couldn’t get the door to open or override and smiled at the soft scratching on the other side. “You’re safe in zeir Master. Ze doctor made sure of it.”

The scratching stopped but he could feel the soft thump against the other side as the little Guardian flopped against it and chattered through the barrier. “I know. I’ll get you food when the doctor comes back.”

Chekhov felt the shared draw of hunger again and shift, trying to find his com, and was thankful when it was still in his pocket. “Dr McCoy, do you have a minute?”

“Chekhov? What the hell are you doing up?!”

“I, uh, he’s hungry.”

“Fuck, stay put, I’m on my way.”

Chekhov smiled at the calming feeling on the other side of the door, “You understand zat? Zat’s amazing. I zought you vere just telepathic. Zought you couldn’t understand vords.”

He felt a soft scratching somewhere at the back of his mind and tried to stumble upright, his legs cramped up and he couldn’t get up. “Ze doctor is on his vay, isn’t he? Zat’s vat I feel.”

A soothing feeling came through the developing link and he couldn’t stop smiling even as his eyes tried to droop closed. He didn’t realize he’d fallen back to sleep until the doctor was shaking him awake. “I don’t know what the hell you’re,” Bones stepped back at the pale colored eyes trying to focus on him, “Damnit, it did take. Fuck.” Chekhov stumbled when he was helped to his feet, but somehow found the ability to plant them when the doctor tried to take him back to the bed. “Look, I know you feel like the world is going to end if you don’t help you Master but I need you back in bed, you’re not fully recovered! Your body is probably still trying to reject the link.”

Chekhov threw himself backward just hard enough to make the doctor stumble, “I can’t leave Master! He’s hungry!”

Bones’ eye twitched and he glared at the sudden clawing from the other side of the door, “Let up on the kid, I’ve got yer damn blood, let him go! He needs to rest!”

“I von’t leave him.” Chekhov glared and forced them both to the floor when the doctor tried to pull him along again.

This time the doctor huffed and rubbed his eyes. “Fine! Alright, you want to deal with the bloody mess, go ahead!” Bones stomped to his door and opened it to see the little Guardian bound out and up to his new familiar. He reached out but stopped when the boy laughed and hugged the chattering beast like a pet rather than an attacker. “That’s what you wanted? Seriously?”

Bones got hungry chattering in response as the little vampire realized it wasn’t Chekhov that had his meal but the doctor. “Not eweryone is solitary doctor. Some like ozers near.”

Bones grumbled as the vampire pounced him to snap at the blood he was holding before latching on, and at least this time he wasn’t a bloody mess when it was done. “Ya’ll are a pain in my ass.”

Chekhov started laughing at the feeling of utter confusion flooding his mind. “Annoying, or irritating may seem a good comparison.”

“Still a pain in the ass, and don’t even think about biting me, I’ll declaw you.”

The little vampire was tilting its head and chattering after finishing its breakfast. “Yeah yeah, come on Chekhov, yer going back to bed and you’re going back to your damn nest. Evil little shit…”

Chekhov frowned at the add feeling of sadness, “He doesn’t mean zat. He’s just speaking out. You’re not ewil, just misunderstood.”

Bones rolled his eyes as Chekhov when he finally made it into the bio-bed and rubbed his eyes when the little vampire pounced onto the boy’s chest before settling and starting to sleepy chatter. “Yer not staying out here all night. You can’t even stop from turning someone while in my office much less out here.” Chekhov giggled at the wide fanged yawn the little vampire gave in response and started rubbing his hand across its back when it curled up to sleep.

“He’s happy now. He doesn’t feel alone like before.”

“Yeah yeah, still not leaving him out here alone with all these people. Can’t risk it happening again.”

Chekhov caught the soft sensation of confusion when the vampire lifted its head and chattered at Bones. “He doesn’t understand.”

“And hopefully he won’t. Vampires don’t just have one familiar, they have several.”

Chekhov looked to be thinking but smiled and held tighter to the happily chattering vampire. “He doesn’t care, does he?”

“Not in the least. He sees it as another friend or Drone I guess.”

“It’s kind of fascinating. Feeling his emotions. I guess zat vould be how you describe it.”

“He’s still young enough that yeah that’s how it feels. That’s his only way of communication right now, and unless they’re telepathic to begin with humans can’t understand him unless they’re familiars.”

Chekhov smiled at the little head poking up to nuzzle under his chin, “No more biting, zee first time was more zan enough, zank you.”

Bones stepped forward but paused when the little vampire nuzzled and tilted back to curl up and start sleeping. “How the hell did this become my life?” He grumbled as he left to get Chekhov’s access changed so he could get blood from the replicators should he feel the urge to bring the vampire blood. It beat the hell out of the alternative.


End file.
